Uber is exploring the idea of launching a service similar to TaskRabbit where folks can call on someone to carry out everyday tasks that they themselves don’t want to do, according to a recent Bloomberg report.
Details of the possible service, which could be called “Chore,” were discovered by developer Steve Moser in code in Uber’s iPhone app.
It revealed that a user could hire a “tasker” for at least one hour after specifying a job that needs doing and when the hired person should arrive to start on it.
“Similar to a ride or a food delivery within Uber’s application, the code indicates the user will be asked to specify the address of the request, review their submission, and then press a button to request it,” Bloomberg says in its report, adding that Chore will then calculate the fee based on the time needed to complete the job.
Uber started out as a ridesharing service and the on-demand taxi service still drives most of its income. But it later moved into meal delivery as part of efforts to broaden its revenue stream. Launching a TaskRabbit-like service would mark another effort to improve its bottom line, though it should be stated that at the current time, Uber has said nothing official about rolling out such a service. If it does proceed, the likelihood is that Chore would initially operate as a trial service in select locations before deciding whether to make it a permanent part of its platform. As it’s recently been spotted in code, such a test could be coming soon.
TaskRabbit launched in 2008 to offer people an easy way to hire people to do various jobs such as home repairs, cleaning, gardening, electrical help, plumbing, and — perhaps no surprise considering it was acquired by Ikea in 2017 — furniture assembly.
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